I read the note about Suntory Oceania promising a new era for New Zealand beverages, and one idea jumped out for me.
If that promise holds, the center of gravity is going to shift to retail media.
The battleground is the checkout, not the billboard
Retailers control loyalty data and the digital shelf, and a global player with deep budgets and data fluency will push the competition into those environments.
Closed loop measurement, programmatic in store screens, sponsored search in grocery apps, and personalised offers will shape share more than a single big TV burst.
For the New Zealand beverage industry this raises the bar on execution, not just creative.
Range decisions, pack sizes, and promo calendars will be set with real time feedback rather than gut feel.
Supply chain reliability becomes a creative constraint because media will finally be tied to on shelf availability, and the penalty for being out of stock is a wasted campaign.
Expect retailer owned studios and preferred partner programs to grow, with faster iteration cycles and modular creative built for 6 second and thumbnail level communication.
Challenger brands can still win if they master the graphs behind the cart and build distinctive assets that travel across the aisle, the app, and the fridge.
But the cost of entry will climb, and the craft will shift from making one great story to orchestrating many precise moments.
My takeaway is simple. If Suntory treats New Zealand as a proving ground, the whole category will professionalise around data, retail surfaces, and availability.
That feels like an opportunity for better experiences and smarter spend, and a reminder that the shelf is now a media channel. The global view on retail media suggests this shift is not a blip.
Joshua Campbell
Director